Nepal News: 15-12-2016

Four-day shutdown declared in Rolpa and Pyuthan against splitting of Province No 5

The Rolpa-Pyuthan Joint Struggle Committee has announced a four-day general shutdown of Rolpa and Putyhan districts effective from Thursday in protest of registration of constitution amendment bill to split Province No 5.  The meeting of the Committee convened at Bhringu in Pyuthan on Wednesday took the decision to this effect, according to Committee's Rolpa Coordinator Amar Singh Pun Magar who is also President of the Nepali Congress Rolpa Chapter.  The constitution amendment bill registered at the Legislature-Parliament on November 29 has proposed separating the mountainous districts as Palpa, Arghakhachi, Gulmi Rolpa and Pyuthan among others from Province no 5 to 4.  The Committee argued that the Province No 5, which earlier constituted hilly and mountainous districts rich in natural resources and cultural heritage, should not be split from the Province No 5.  Magar said that general shutdown was declared in an effort to launch a stern protest against the government's cavalier attitude towards their concern.  He shared that a peaceful goodwill rally will be taken out at day to maintain the communal harmony in Rolpa and Pyuthan.  With the declaration of general shutdown, the markets, hotels, industries and educational institutions have remained shut in Rolpa and Pyuthan since the morning.

Limbuwan's banda affects life in Jhapa

Normal life in Jhapa remained affected on Thursday due to a general shutdown (banda) enforced by the Federal Limbuwan Party Nepal, protesting over the constitution amendment proposal. 

Vehicles en-route to both long and short routes have remained off the road. However, motorcycles, milk containers, vehicles operating for emergency purposes including ambulance, those belonging to press and carrying vegetables are allowed to operate freely. The party has said that it is positive towards the call of civil society and human rights activists to keep the academic institutes free from the impact of banda. The party has decried the proposal to disintegrate the province no 5 in the amendment bill.

House put off until December 19

A meeting of the Legislature-Parliament scheduled for Thursday was put off until coming Monday, following the failure of major political parties to find consensus on the constitution amendment proposal registered in Parliament.  A notice issued by General Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat Manohar Prasad Bhattarai informed the postponement of the House until 13:00 pm, December 19 due to a special reason.  Main opposition CPN-UML and other political parties have been opposing the amendment proposal registered in Parliament in a bid to address demands of various dissenting groups.  Earlier, the House sessions summoned on December 1, 2, 4, 7 and 9 were adjourned due to obstruction from the main opposition over the same matter.  It is noted that the main opposition has said that it would not allow the House resume its business until the bill is taken back while Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is saying that the bill will not be withdrawn but matters for amendment may be changed.

DPM urges UML to let parliament resume business

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi today urged main opposition CPN-UML not to obstruct parliamentary business. He opposed the obstruction, arguing that the constitution amendment proposal registered in Parliament is well-intended. The UML and other opposition parties are strongly opposing to the proposal, resulting in the obstruction of parliamentary business for over the past two weeks. DPM Nidhi was speaking at a program on 'analysis of Nepal's law in relation to citizenship', organized by the Forum for Women, Law and Development in the capital. "The amendment proposal should be dealt with through the Parliament itself. It is good for the UML not to obstruct Parliamentary business," he said. "The issue sounds patriotic when the UML was in the government. It becomes unpatriotic when the same issue is taken up by the government?" he questioned. He, however, emphasized the need for seeking solution to this problem through consensus. He also viewed that those laws debarring Nepali citizens from acquiring citizenship certificates should be amended.